NCIS - Dream vs reality
by Bonasena
Summary: Jack has a reoccurring dream that she can't figure out whether it is real or just a dream. she starts experience situations that are Deja-wu of the dream. - bad summary I know but give it a shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: this story is not related to any particular episode of the show. It is a story that popped into my head a while ago (ill been busy with school, so I haven't had time to finish writing it.) I finally found time to finish it up. It will be 6 chapters. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.**

**Jacks office**

It has been nearly a year since they spend Christmas together. Jack and Gibbs. Something special happened between them that night when they spend Christmas together at his house, but they haven't spoken about it since. Only on one occasion… Jack tried to call him out on it a few months ago but she lost her nerves and when he tried to call her out all she said was maybe later. Later… that never happened. They are back to being friends and coworkers and nothing more. He still gives her those teenage-girl butterflies in her stomach when he looks at her with so much care and concern, but they never speak of it. when they spend time in her office together, even though it is case-related, just being alone with him gives her that special feeling, but… she isn't sure he feels the same way so it doesn't matter.

It has been a long day and Jack has been suffering from a bad headache all day. It is late afternoon. The team is still working on a tough case that has been keeping them in the office for many after for almost 2 weeks now. Jack knows she needs to stay in case the team needs her, but her headache isn't doing her any good and she knows she won't be of any use to the team as long as her head is killing her. So she has decided to lay down and get some rest for a short moment. She is resting but not asleep. It helps with her headache to close her eyes. The quietness of her office is a help too and as she is laying on the couch, she hears the door to her office slowly opens. She hears footsteps entering her office and walking over to her. she can hear the person who has entered her office has come over and kneeled next to her. She feels her blanket that has slipped down being gently pulled back over her shoulders. It is a nice caring gesture. It makes her smile, but she never opens her eyes. she then feels a gentle kiss being placed on her temple and a hand gently touching her face before he stands up again and leaves her office. She never hears the door closing.

Jack opens her eyes. she sits up. Way too quickly. She starts to feel dizzy from sitting up too quickly. She looks over at her door. it is closed. Her blanket is on the floor. She reaches to her temple where she felt the kiss earlier. Nothing. She doesn't feel anything. Maybe it was just a dream? It felt real, she thinks to herself. then it knocks on the door and Gibbs quickly enters.

"hey, Jack." Jack looks over at him and smiles.

"Gibbs... were you in here just a minute ago?"

Gibbs looks confused at her. "a minute ago? No" he says.

Jack shakes her head, "never mind. "she says. Gibbs still looks confused at her. "you are feeling okay, Jack?" he asks concerned. The sound of concern in her voice is making her feel better.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a strange dream." She says and smiles. "did you need me for anything?" she asks.

"yeah." He sys and gets snap out of their little moment where their eyes meet in a sweet smile. He hands her a file he has in his hand.

"We got a victim that doesn't match the others. There is something off. Could you look at it?" he asks and hands her the file. "if you are feeling okay. If you are not or want to go home, I can just ask ducky."

"no Gibbs. It is fine. I'm fine." She says trying to sound convincing. She takes the file and starts looking through it. Gibbs is observing her for a moment.

"anything else?" she asks when he keeps looking at her.

"no," he says and leaves the office.


	2. no such thing as a coincidence

**note: just to let you know this is NOT a rated M story. there is nothing sexual in this story. it is supposed to be a sweet story about a devolving friendship. I hope you enjoy it anyway.**

It has been about a week since Jack had that very realistic dream about someone coming into her office and nursing her while she was resting on her couch. The person had placed a kiss on her temple and pulled her blanket over her and almost gently touched her cheek. Almost like a parent taking care of a child at least someone with a strong parental instinct. She had been convinced that it was real until she had woken up. She had first thought it was Gibbs, but he had told her that he hadn't been in her office so she had convinced her self that it was just a dream.

Yesterday after the team had finished a big case the team had asked her if she wanted to go out and have a drink with the. At first, she had said no but when Gibbs asked her and told her that he was going she had decided to go too. Bonding time with the team could never hurt. But she had gotten a little too much to drink. She wasn't supposed to work today so she had thought to her self that that last drink with Gibbs wouldn't hurt. She could nurse her hangover at her home today. That plan had changed when they got a big case and the entire team and she had been called in. she had finished her initial profile quickly despite her serious headache and had decided to rest for a moment on her couch until Gibbs would come and pick up her profile. Gibbs was chasing a suspect so it would be a while before he would need her.

Jack lays down on her couch. she closes her eyes. the darkness has a lingering effect on her killing hangover. Her blanket is laying on her armchair on the other side of the coffee table so she isn't going to get up and get it. Moving too much is just going to provoke her hangover even more. As she is laying on the couch she is starting to feel a bit cold but she isn't going to move to get the blanket. Suddenly, while she is resting she feels the warmth comfort of a blanket being pulled over her. the blanket is gently being pulled over her and she feels a gentle kiss being placed on her temple. She then feels the gentle touch of a hand gently touching her cheek. She is lying with her face towards the back of the couch to get as much darkness as possible to nurse her hangover headache. She turns around and slowly opens her eyes. but by the time she opens her eyes fully and her eyes and head have adjusted to the bright daylight there is no one else in the room. She looks down on the floor. Her blanket has fallen down on the floor but she is pretty sure that when she lay down on the couch the blanket was on the chair on the other side of the coffee table. She slowly sits up to not provoke her headache too much. she looks over at her desk where the profile she worked on earlier was. It is gone. Someone must have been in here and taken it. it was probably Gibbs.

Vance's office

Jack received a text from Vance asking her to come to his office. Her headache has gotten better. It has been about 4 hours since she woke up on her couch. she enters Vance's office. Vance is sitting behind his desk.

"Jack come on in." Vance greets and gestures towards a chair across from his desk. Jack enters and closes the door behind her and then takes a seat. She now notices what file Vance is looking at. It is her profile from earlier. He must have been the one who was in her office and put the blanket over her when he went to get to profile. She was subconsciously hoping it was Gibbs.

Considering the nursing and caring actions of the guest in her office earlier she shouldn't be surprised to learn that it was Vance. Since the day Vance brought her back stateside from Afghanistan, he has been caring about her. when he came to visit her at the hospital after she was brought back to the states, he would place the cover over her shoulders and gently touch her face as a father does to his child. He has looked out for her in a very caring and protective way since the day he found her in that hellhole.

"Everything okay, Jack?" Vance asks looking up from the profile he was reading.

"Yeah," Jack says getting snapped out of her train of thought.

She likes how Vance always looks out for her, but he hasn't been nursing her in that way since she moved to DC. They have kept more of a professional friendship since then. So she is puzzled about why he would be kissing her on her temple. She isn't convinced it was Vance. Maybe it was just another dream?


	3. Chapter 3

Team Gibbs has been working on a high-profile kidnapping-case and after a nearly 48 hours shift and manhunt the team with help from Jack's profile of the kidnapper and of the victim, they had finally managed to track down the kidnapper.

Jack has been working for nearly 48 hours when the team runs out to finally rescue the kidnapped girl and take down the kidnapper. After the team has left for the final rescue Jack has gone to her office to finish up some paperwork. Gibbs had promised her to give her an update as soon as the kidnapped girl was safe. It had been a case that has been rough on every member of the team. After about half an hour of doing paperwork, Jack finally gets a text from Gibbs. "the girl is safe." It is all it says. Jack is relieved. The girl is safe after 48 hours of kidnapping. Jack walks over at lays down on her couch. it won't be long before Gibbs and his team comes back and they can all go home for the night. They will have time to do the paperwork tomorrow.

Jack feels the gentle touch of lips kissing her temple and the feeling on a hand gently touching her face and then she hears a sweet whispering voice saying "it is over Jack. Time to go home."

Jack is in a stage in between subconsciousness and consciousness when she hears the loud a clear voice of Tim Mcgee. "hey boss." It wakes Jack up and fully Aware of where she is. She quickly sits up and whips the sleep out of her eyes.

"what McGee?" Gibbs asks. He is standing by the end of the coffee table. His voice is harsh, but he also sounds tired.

"Sorry boss." Mcgee looks over at Jack who is sheepishly rubbing the sleep out of her eyes for them to adjust to the light faster.

"Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"it is fine McGee. How did it go?" Jack asks standing up.

"fine. The girl is safe." Gibbs says to Jack in a gentle voice before he turns to Mcgee with his death stare.

"did you need something McGee?" Gibbs asks.

"no sorry boss I just wanted to let you know that we found the money and the kidnappers cellphone used to make the ransom call."

"and that couldn't wait till tomorrow, McGee?" Gibbs asks.

"Sorry boss," Tim says and leaves quickly. Gibbs turns back to Jack.

"you should go home Jack and sleep in your home bed. It is better for you."

"I didn't want to leave before I knew the case was over." Jack lies. She really just didn't want to leave the office.

"come on," Gibbs says and grabs her jacket and her purse from her desk.

"I'll drive you home," he says more as an order than as an offer. Jack knows better than to argue with Gibbs so she just silently accept. Gibbs helps her with her jacket and then hands her purse. He then turns off the light in her office before he leaves her out of her office and closes the door behind them.

"did you say anything to me before McGee came?" Jack asks.

"While you were asleep Jack?" Gibbs asks.

Jack can hear how silly her question sounds that he is pointing it out loud to her. "never mind. Gibbs." She just simply says, and they walk to the elevator in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

note: I hope you enjoy this. there is a lot more action in this one than in the previous chapters and it is longer. I love it when Jack goes into the field and picks up an AK47. so I wanted to write something about that. I hope you enjoy this and let me know what you think.

Jack is asked by Gibbs to tag along on a major arrest of a drug-dealing group of sailors. There are expected to be at least 10 young sailors in the warehouse they are about to storm so they are going to need all hands on deck that has tactical training. Another reason why Gibbs asked Jack to tag along is that she has been making profiles on each of the members of the gang and has profiled homicide and suicidal tendencies with at least 2 of the youngest members of the gang. Jack is standing outside the NCIS car and is getting her gear on. The cars har parked in a nearby ally that is out of sight from the warehouse but still in close enough proximity. Jack is putting her NCIS-vest over her head and straps it on when Gibbs walks around the corner to her. He is all geared up with a bulletproof west under his NCIS jacket and his service weapon strap to his belt along with several rounds of ammunition strapped to his leg. He walks over to Jack who seems a bit nervous about the situation. Gibbs hands her a Colt M4.

"it is heave firepower, Gibbs" Jack takes it and puts it over her head and her shoulder.

"you are going to be okay Jack," Gibbs says more as a statement then as a question. She nods. She has done this before, but it has been a while since she was last in the field.

"I'm going to have your back, Jack." He says reassuring. He has his sniper rifle hanging on his back over his shoulder. She nods. the rest of the team joins them.

"good to go, boss," McGee announces. "Waiting on your order, boss."

"McGee, you and Torres covering the back entrance and Jack and Bishop cover the front. Gibbs says. Everyone nods in understanding.

"where are you going to be?" Jack asks. She looks up at the building around them. She knows snipers seek high ground.

"up there." Gibbs points to a window in a 5-storage empty warehouse across the street from the warehouse they are going into.

"I'm going to watch your six," Gibbs says directly to Jack with a small reassuring smile. The exchange of a sneaky smile between Torres and Bishop doesn't go unnoticed by Jack who shoots Torres an annoyed look and mimics the words shot up to which she receives a shocked smug from Nick.

"Watch your six." Gibbs orders but the look in his eyes shows deep concern for his team. They all know this could go sideways in many ways and real fast. They all split up and take their assigned positions. Soon after they all get the order to breach the warehouse and Jack follows Bishop into the warehouse by announcing their presence with the standard: "NCIS Don't move." They are quickly greeted by gunshots from the tenants of the building who is as they expected a group of young men. Torres and McGee come in through the back door and they receive almost the same amount of gunshots as a greeting. After a few minutes of heavy exchange of gunfire, the NCIS-team manage to get most of the remaining breathing men down on the ground and in handcuffs. Gibbs managed to take out a few too from a distance who were getting a little too creative with what they were throwing at the NCIS-team. Gibbs saw one of them where fabricating Molotov cocktails to throw at Jack and Bishop so Gibbs fired a shot and blow up the Molotov cocktails before the suspects could throw them but the minor explain that created also caused a diversion and an opportunity for one guy to make a run for his freedom.

"I got him," Jack yells and runs after the guy out of the warehouse to catch him.

Jack chases the guy for a few blocks until she finally catches up to him on the waterfront just a few meters from the edge. She draws her gun and points it at him.

"don't move." Jack orders. The young man stops running and raises his hands above his head.

"turn around." Jack orders. The young man turns around. Jack recognizes him. he is a smug 21-year-old who was in a lot of trouble as a teenager and who has been in a lot of trouble since he joined the service. It is petty officer 3rd class Jared Holders. According to what Jack read in his file and what she profiled he is an outsider and a smug ass a male chauvinist who has zero regards for female servicemembers whom he has been in a lot of conflict with. He has had several altercations with disrespect for female superior officers.

"Listen, honey." He says and he turns around to face Jack with a smug smile on his face. "you can't handle me. I'm too much work for you so let's just call it a day. Accept your defeat and you just walk back to your secretary-job." Jack is really struggling not to just pull the trigger.

"keep your hands on your head." Jack orders. The young man does as she says with a smug smile. She walks closer to him as she takes out her handcuffs.

"honey you should know I like it rough." He says and laughs. Jack walks over and grabs his wrist to place the handcuffs. She grabs his arm hard and twists it down on his back.

"wow, easy honey." He laughs.

"didn't you say you like it rough." Jack says with the same smug smile as he has. "don't worry the guys you are going to be in prison with from now on likes it real rough too." Jack says as promise and suddenly the young man's smug smile changes to pure anger. Jack read in his file that he had homophobic tendencies and knew her last comment would piss him off, but she didn't expect him to turn in to hulk-like strength. He somehow manages to get one hand out of the handcuffs and attack Jack, and they get into a fistfight. Jack gets her knife out that she is carrying, and she manages to attack him with it a few times to try and get him down in pain, but he seems to be so worked up in anger that the pain doesn't seem to affect him. they fight for a few more manage and Jack also managed to get quite a few punches in. she finally gets him on the ground and she is on top of him and she punches his face so his nose seems broken. He finally stops fighting back and Jack stands up.

"too much of for you, honey." She says with a smug smile and walks over and picks up the handcuffs that are on the ground by his feet. "Jack." That is Bishop coming towards her followed by Torres and McGee and Gibbs. As she picks them up the handcuffs and looks over at her co-workers Jared moves and he kicks her in the stomach, and she loses her balance and falls backward right over the edges and into the water.

Her body is sore from the fight and from the swimming as she reaches one of the latter's hanging on the edge of the harbor. The latter was a good 5 minutes of swimming from where she fell into the water. She felt in right in front of that smug ass who has told her he was too much to handle for her. the whole morning, she had been nervous about it has been a while since she was last in the field, but Gibbs had trusted her enough to send her in having Bishops back. She was supposed to have his youngest agents back. she failed Gibbs's trust today and she embarrassed herself in the field.

As she climbs up the latter a hand is reached out to her. she is embarrassed and doesn't really want to see who it is. She thinks to herself that the whole office is going to know how she embarrassed herself in the field once she is back at the office.

"you are okay Jack?" that is the familiar sound of Gibbs's voice.

"yeah." She says never looking up at him as she gets back on solid ground. He hands her, her knife that she must have dropped before she falls into the water. She securely places it back on her angle. He takes off his dry jacket and places it around her.

"It is going to get wet Gibbs you need your jacket." She says and is about to take his jacket off, but he insists on her keeping it on. They walk over to the rest of the team. The ME van has shown up by now and a black van is driving away.

"Finally, that guy stopped whining," McGee says. Jack and Gibbs walk over to the rest of the team.

"what did you do to that guy, Jack?" Bishop asks.

"what I did?" Jack asks surprised.

"yeah, he was whined like a baby over you broke his face," Torres says with a big smile.

"I defended my self," Jack explains casually.

"I detected at least 4 stab wounds, a broken nose, 3 broken teeth, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured collarbone, and multiple superficial wounds, scratches, and bruises. And that is only the visible injuries that man sustained." Ducky informs them as he joins the group. Everyone looks impressed with Jack.

"dang… Jack. I don't want to get on your bad side." Bishop says and everyone starts laughing.

"you where bad-ass" Bishop says impressed. Jack doesn't say anything. She still feels embarrassed and she isn't sure if they are just mocking her or really impressed. Gibbs has an arm around her shoulders, and she feels a reassuring squeeze on her arm from him which makes her feel a bit better.

"Jacquelin. How are you feeling?" Ducky asks concerned turning his attention to Jack.

"I'm fine Ducky," Jack says trying to put on a brave face. Her body is sore, and she must admit that she was on the receiving end of at least a few punches in the fight with the petty officer.

"it seems like you have a split eyebrow and split lip," Jimmy says squinting his eyes at her to look closer at her bruised face.

"I'm fine," Jack says pulling Gibbs jacket a bit tighter around her. she is shivering.

"let's get you to the hospital, Jack."

"I'm fine Gibbs." Jack insists.

"your finger appears to be broken or at least sprained Jack," Jimmy observes the few of Jack's fingers there are visible.

"Torres, get me one of the thermal blankets from the back of your car will you," Ducky asks and Nick starts running towards the black SUV to grab a blanket.

"come with me here Jacqueline," Ducky says and reaches a handout for Jack to take. She accepts unwillingly and walks with Ducky to the back of the ME van. McGee and Bishop follow them. Ducky places Jack at the edge of the van in the back. Torres comes back with the thermal blanket and hands it to Ducky. He firmly wraps it around Jack.

"give us some privacy agents." Ducky orders and Bishop, McGee, and Jimmy take a few steps away. "Mr. Palmer." Ducky calls out and Palmer steps back to the van. "Will you make Agent Sloane a cop of hot tea? I have some tea leaves in my bag." Ducky orders.

"I don't drink Tea, Ducky. But thanks. I am fine."

"We need to get you heated up both from the inside and the outside. The blanket won't do it alone." Ducky informs her. then at the same moment, Gibbs comes running over to them. He hands Jack a coffee cup.

"a cup of sugar with a hint of caffeine." He informs her with a smile. Gibbs joking about her coffee makes her smile and the little exchange of glance between them doesn't go unnoticed by Ducky.

"Thanks, Gibbs." She says with a smile and takes a sip of the coffee.

"Agent Sloane do you have a set of changing clothing?" Ducky asks trying not to pay attention to the sweet smile between Gibbs and Jack that is impossible for the experienced doctor to not notice.

"not here. I do in the office." Jack informs snapping out of her little moment with Gibbs.

"I got a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt you can wear until we get back," Gibbs says and before Jack can interrupt or object he is gone. soon after Gibbs comes back with a pair of black sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie.

"I'm not wearing anything USMC," Jack says to Jack.

"it isn't. it is NIS. Put it on." Gibbs says more as an order than as a request. But he doesn't leave to give her the privacy to get changed. He just stays there looking at her. Their eyes meet in a sweet glance and it doesn't go unnoticed by Ducky. It seems like the self-aware mood with Jack caused by her embarrassment about her defeat in the fight has faded away for now.

"let's give her some privacy," Ducky says grabbing Gibbs's arm firmly to pull him out of the glaze with Jack. Jack gets snapped out of starring into Gibbs's steal-blue eyes too and gets up from her seat on the edge of the van.

"you can just close the doors and change in the van, agent Sloane," Ducky informs her and then Ducky almost drags Gibbs away.

Once Jack has changed Ducky and Gibbs come back to the van. Jack is sitting on a bench that is placed along the side inside the van. Gibbs jumps into the van and sits down next to her.

"How are you doing?" he asks and wraps his arms around her. she is still freezing and shaking from the cold water.

"I'm sorry I let you down, Gibbs," Jack says.

"you never let me down, Jack," Gibbs says and places a kiss on her forehead.

"I shouldn't have gone after him myself. I completely humiliated myself and I almost let the suspect get away."

"don't blame yourself." He says almost whispering into her hair. His thumb is gently brushing over her brushed face. she is shivering and he pulls the blanket closer around her to warm her up. It feels so comfortable and strangely familiar to Jack the way he is holding her in his arms. The kiss on her forehead and the blanket he has wrapped around her. she can't quite figure out where the familiarity comes from until their moment is interrupted by McGee who asks Gibbs to step out so they can give him an update. Gibbs passes Ducky who is on his way to check up on Jack. "gt her patched up ducky. Take her to the hospital.

"I'm not going to the hospital," Jack calls out and receives a demanding look from Gibbs but she isn't going to give up. She feels enough humiliated already. She doesn't want to be the agent who has to go to the ER after a field trip. Ducky steps into the van.

"How are you feeling Jacqueline?" Ducky asks.

"I'm fine Ducky," Jack says and takes a sip of her coffee. She looks after Gibbs. It suddenly hits her. It was her dream. That is why it all felt so familiar. Gibbs holding her in his arms. The thumb brushing over her face, the kiss on her forehead, the blanket wrapped around her. it was just like in her dream. She is now 100% sure it was Gibbs she dreamed about, but she still can't figure out whether it was a dream or real. She keeps thinking about her dream and how everything Gibbs just did was the exact same thing that happened in her dream.


	5. Conversation with Ducky

Jack walks down to the autopsy. She is expecting to find the chief medical examiner Jimmy Palmer, but instead, she finds former chief medical examiner, Dr. Donald Mallard. Ducky turns around to face his unexpected guest. He is sitting at the desk looking at what seems to be an old case file when the automatic doors to the autopsy are opened.

"good evening Jacqueline." Ducky greets in his characteristic Scottish manner. "to what do I own this late visit to the autopsy room."

Ducky's cheerful voice brings a smile to Jack's face.

"good evening doc," Jack says. she doesn't sound as cheerful as she usually does and it doesn't go unnoticed by the experienced doctor.

"I was expecting to find dr. Palmer." Jack says and walks over to Ducky.

"he had family business to attend to. Victoria is going to perform at her first school play tonight."

"I see," Jack says. she places the file she was bringing down on the table.

"I was just bringing this down for Jimmy, but it can wait until tomorrow," Jack says and is about to leave the autopsy room again.

"what is on your mind, Jack?" Ducky asks. The use of her short nickname brings her attention to Ducky. He seems concerned. He normally always uses her full first name, but the fact that he doesn't today brings her attention to him. he is concerned about her and she knows he can see right through her whenever something is off. She walks back over to Ducky and sits down across from him.

"Doc can I ask you a strange question?" Jack asks.

"sure."

"do you believe that dreams mean something or are they just nothing."

"do I believe in dreams? Personally, or professionally?" Ducky asks.

"Both," Jack asks. Not sure if she really wants to talk about this but her strange dreams that seem so realistic have been bothering her lately, so she needs to talk with someone about them.

"professionally… I haven't seen any scientific proof of dreams being anything other than being a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during sleep." Jack nods. She is a scientist too. She already knew the scientific definition of dreams. She is about to get up from her chair when Ducky grabs her hand gently and it makes her look up at him and sit back down to listen to what he further has to say.

"personally… I like to think that dreams can be interpreted as massages. Our subconsciousness trying to tell us something."

Jack nods and looks down at her hands.

"you had a dream that is confusing you?" Ducky asks.

Jack looks up at him again.

"3 actually. Well…" Jack says before she elaborates. "it is the same dream. I have had it 3 times now. It always occurs when I am sleeping on my couch in my office. Never when I am sleeping at home."

"What is the dream about?"

Jack look down embarrassed.

"a coworker."

Ducky nods in understanding. Jack can see on the little smile Ducky has on his face he has probably already figured out who it might be, but he isn't saying anything.

"and have you spoken with this coworker about your dream."

"that is the thing Doc. I don't know if it is a dream. At first, I thought it was real. It feels so real and then I wake up and it feels like it was real and at the same time as it isn't."

"What happens in your dream?" Ducky asks. he can sense the frustration in Jack's voice.

"I sleep." Jack starts.

"in your dream, Jack." Ducky interrupts. Jack nods.

"Yeah. Doc… I dream that I sleep. I dream that I sleep on my couch and then someone comes into my office and pulls a blanket over me. the person touches my face and then…" Jack stops talking. She looks down embarrassed to tell Ducky about it.

"and then what?" Ducky asks for her to continue in a sweet caring voice. He isn't about to tease her or anything about her dream. He is just trying to help. She can tell in the way he is looking at her.

"and then the person kisses me…" she says embarrassed and looks up before she adds. "on the temple."

Ducky nods.

"have you asked Gibbs if he has been in your office those 3 times where you have had this dream?" Jack look up surprised at Ducky. She never mentioned it was Gibbs she was dreaming about. Ducky gives her a knowing look. Of course, he would figure out it was Gibbs she was dreaming about.

"yeah I did and he said he wasn't in my office the first time and the second time Vance was in my office and got my profile so it was probably him who put the blanket over me while I was sleeping and my brain messed with me and the 3rd time I woke up and Gibbs was leaning over me to wake me up when McGee came to my office. So, it was probably just a dream." Jack says trying to rationalize the situations in her mind.

"well… It does sound very much like something Gibbs would do. A kiss on the temple and a nursing blanket and a gentle touch to the face. it is gestures I have seen him do many times before to Abby, Catiline, Ellie, and Ziva. He cares about you, Jack."

"he said he wasn't in my office," Jack says a little annoyed because she was pretty sure that it was Gibbs too.

"well… Gibbs doesn't like to be called out on situations that can make him seem weak. Depending on how you asked he probably found a way around answering directly." Ducky says with a tricky smile. It annoys Jack but she knows Ducky is right. That is exactly what Gibbs would do. Try to avoid confrontations like that. For a man who doesn't like politics, he sure knows how to avoid direct questions and answers just like politicians.

"so how do I confront him?" Jack asks.

Ducky likes the sneaky look in Jack's eyes. tricking Leroy Jethro Gibbs isn't easy, and it is a dangerous task. But Jack is a woman who likes a challenge.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: I LOVE Jack's background story as a POW (prisoner of war) in Afghanistan, and I love to use it in my stories. I wish they would use her military background more in the storylines like they did more in season 15 and put her out in the field. She was so badass when she and Nick were in Afghanistan in 15x10.**

**Jacks office**

It has been about a month since Jack had a chat with Ducky. The dream hasn't reoccurred since then, so Jack has been telling her self that it probably just was a dream and her mind just playing tricks on her. She just needed to tell someone about it to get it out of her head. She knows Ducky won't tell anyone, so she is perfectly fine with that he knows.

Gibbs walks into Jack's office. She is sitting on the couch, trying to look through some files. Jack looks tired. She has an empty coffee mug on the table next to her files.

"long night Jack?" Gibbs asks and hands her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, she says as a yearn escapes.

"sorry. I couldn't sleep last night," she explains and takes a sip of her coffee.

"why?" he asks and sits down on the chair across from her.

"nightmares." She admits.

"Afghanistan?" he guesses, and she nods.

"yeah." She looks down. "the case, with lieutenant Jones, who suffered from PTSD after he came home from Iraq." Jack explains.

"He was a p.o.w. for 6 months, Jack. You can relate to him, Jack."

"I could have been him, Gibbs," Jack says. She almost sounds irritated with him. The moment she sees how concerned he looks at her, she feels terrible and looks down.

"sorry." She says.

"don't apologize, Jack. You went through hell."

"I got into a lot of fights after I came back. I was ordered anger management."

"you took the help you got. You let people help you. lieutenant Jones didn't." Gibbs explains. "he self-medicated instead." Gibbs explains. "you are not like him."

"I can't sleep." She admits.

"what will help you get some sleep?" he asks.

"I don't know. The worst part is being alone. I spend days in that hell hole alone after they were killed."

"come over to my place." Gibbs offers casually.

She looks surprised at him.

"you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll be there if you need anything. You won't wake up alone." He says and gets up. He steps over and places a kiss on her forehead.

"get some rest, Jack." He says, almost whispering before he leaves her office.

**Gibbs's house**

Jack comes over to Gibbs's home and places her bag on the floor and takes off her jacket and her shoes. She has stayed over at his place before but never like this. She isn't quite sure about this, but something is comforting about knowing Gibbs will be there if she has another Afghanistan-nightmare. Gibbs comes walking down the stairs. He has changed into his comfortable jeans and USMC-hoodie. She should be used to the sight of him in his casual outfit, but for some reason, it still catches her by surprise how relaxed Gibbs seems. As he walks down the stairs, he notices how she is looking at him.

"ya 'kay Jack?" he asks as he is standing right in front of her. She is snapped out of her train of thought.

"yeah."

He grabs her bag, and they walk into the living room and sit down on the couch. There is a strange, awkward atmosphere, which is unusual for the two of them.

Jack sits down on the couch where he has already found some beddings for her for the night.

"Gibbs, it is lovely of you letting me stay over. I don't know why my nightmares about Afghanistan have come back. They have been gone since we arrested Masahun." Gibbs walks over at sits down next to her. He wraps his arms around her. She leans into him, and he places a kiss on top of her head.

"he can't hurt you anymore, Jack." He whispers into her hair. It makes her feel safer even though in her mind, she knows Masahun can't hurt her; he still haunts her dreams. For almost a month now, she hasn't had any of those strange dreams of Gibbs… or whoever it is… coming into her office when she is sleeping and putting a blanket over her and kissing her on the forehead. Even though she'd rather have those dreams… although they are freaking her out a little bit… then she wants to have nightmares about Masahun and Afghanistan.

As she is resting comfortably in Gibbs's arms… she is convinced that those dreams about Gibbs were probably just her mind playing tricks on her. She was convinced for a while… especially after her chat with Ducky… that they were real, and Gibbs was just avoiding the confrontation… which is probably what he would do if it was him sneaking into her office and nursing her while she was sleeping… but now she is convinced it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She has been emotional lately witch everything that has been going on with Ziva's return and the threat on Gibbs's life from Sahar and Faith starting to connect with her slowly again and her chats with dr. Grace Confalone about her feeling lonely.

It was just a dream and nothing else.

That is what Jack is reminding her self off as she drifts off to peaceful sleep in Gibbs's secure arms.

Jack is slowly waking up. She is gradually waking up. Her eyes are closed as Jack is listening to the sounds in the house. She hears Gibbs walking around the house. Jack can almost visualize his movement base on the sounds of his footsteps. She has been here many times by now that she has become very familiar with the sounds in the house. Jack hears his footsteps coming up the stairs from the basement. The steps are getting closer to her, and she hears the sound of a glass bottle being placed on the coffee table right next to her. She hears his knees cracking as he kneels down next to her. A blanket or another kind of cover is gently pulled over her. She is starting to have a Deja-wu from her dreams yet again. She tries to convince herself that it is just a coincidence, and it is only because she knows it is Gibbs that she thinks it is the same as in her dream. But when she feels his hand gently removing a strain of hair falling down her face and then she can feel his body heat from when he is leaning over her and gently placing a kiss on her face she is convinced that her dreams were for a fact real and it was him every time.

"I'll keep you safe, Jack." He whispers, almost not audible.

"I know." She says loud and clear and opens her eyes, which is clearly to his big surprise.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was." She says and turns her body, so she is lying on her back and looking straight at him. He has kneeled next to her between the couch and the coffee table.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just found a blanket. You seemed cold." He explains and stands up.

"stop." She says, demanding and sits up. She is rubbing the sleep out of her eyes while he is just looking at her, confused. "stop hiding, Gibbs." She says and looks up at him a bit irritated. "over the past few months, I have had the exact same dream repeatedly…"

"It was just a dream, Jack," Gibbs says with a sideways smile and a shrug.

"no, Gibbs. I know it was real, and it was my subconsciousness telling me that you were there. You came into my office when I was taking a nap. You put a blanket over me. just like you did." She says persistently. "I felt your hand touching my face. You placed a kiss on my temple. Just like you just did."

"I have don't that before, Jack. It was probably just your subconsciousness reminding you of those times." He says casually.

"I have had the same dream at least 3 times. What is it that you always say? No such thing as a coincidence?" she says and looks up at I'm with a persistent look.

"Jack, it was your subconsciousness playing tricks on you," he says with a smile and starts walking towards the kitchen.

"You are behaving like a teenage boy who was cut with his hand in the cookie jar." She says, almost yelling at him. "why can't you just admit you care about me? what are you afraid of?"

"afraid?" he asks in the same raised voice.

"yes, afraid." She repeats and stands up and walks closer to him. They are standing in the middle of the living room, just staring at each other.

"Ducky was right. You are afraid to show that you care because you are afraid to seem weak."

"weak?" he repeats in a raised voice. He seems angry now.

"Every time something gets too personal or emotional for you, you shot down or hide behind that charming smile of yours." She yells.

"you talk to Ducky about me?" he asks irritated.

"he asked me about my dream, that was all. Nothing too personal." She reassures in a frustrated tone. She is frustrated and angry with him, and she is trying to calm herself down. She wanted him to tell her why he has been nursing here in her sleep, but instead, they end up arguing.

"Gibbs…" She finally says in a more calm tone. "why did you invite me to stay over tonight?" she asks, and it makes him look at her again.

"to comfort you. You told me you couldn't sleep because of the nightmares. I know a bit about nightmares from combat too."

"so it was just as a professional courtesy between veterans?" she asks a little cold. He didn't mean to make it sound so cold.

"Jack." He says with pleading eyes looking at her.

"gosh, Gibbs, why is it so damn difficult for you to actually be human." She almost yells and throws her hands up in defeat. She turns away from him. She is so frustrated with him right now.

"maybe this was a mistake." She says and grabs her bag and walks by him. As she walks by him, he gently but firmly grabs her wrist.

"Please stay." He says, almost whispering. She isn't looking at him.

"will you please stay, Jack?" he asks again.

"Why?" she asks colder then she meant it to be, but she is tired of these games.

"I want you to." He simply says.

"Okay, on one condition." She says and finally looks at him. he is awaiting her demand. "those times where I have asked you if you were in my office, while I slept… where you in my office? Answer me honest."

It takes a moment for him before he finally says. "yes." Just the word she wanted to hear.

"did you place the blanket over me?"

"yes."

"did you touch my face?"

"just to remove a strain of hair that was bothering you."

"did you kiss me?" she finally asks. The question that has been bothering her the most. Did she just dream it because she wants it to happen, or did Gibbs actually kiss on the temple. "did you?" she asks when he doesn't answer.

"yes." He says and quickly adds. "only on the temple."

"Just do me one favor, Gibbs." She says with a stern look on her face. "if you want to kiss me, then do it while I'm awake." She says, and then she can't hide the smile on her face anymore. He steps closer to her and wraps his arms around her lower back and pulls her into him and presses his lips against hers. He is delighted when he feels she is kissing him back.

"I wasn't sure you wanted this," he says, against her lips, and he can feel her lips curve into a big smile.

"Just be quiet." She says against his lips and kisses him again.

They finally break the kiss for much-needed air. Gibbs walks to the kitchen to grab two glasses for the bottle of bourbon he brought up from the basement. Jack has sat down on the couch. Gibbs sits down next to her and pours the liquor and hands her a glass. They take a sip of their drink and then place the glasses back on the table. Jack snuggles closer into Gibbs's side and hugs his torsos.

"wow, you a possessive already." He jokes and places an arm around her and holds her closer as he places a kiss on her forehead.

"get used to it," Jack says and snuggles closer to him. He reaches over behind her and grabs the blanket on the couch and pulls it around her.

"are you going to sleep on the couch with me tonight?" she asks and looks up at him.

"I wasn't really planning on you sleeping on the couch tonight." He admits with a shy smile.

"Really?" she asks, deciding to tease him a bit now that he is finally opening up his more vulnerable side of himself towards her. "I can sleep on the floor if you prefer instead." She jokes.

"then I am going to sleep there with you," he whispers into her hair and presses his lips against her hair. He can smell her shampoo. It feels so great having her in his arms, her head resting against his chest. She is so relaxed.

"you know…" she says, almost mumbling. "my dad told me to never spend the night with a guy on the first date." He says. He starts to chuckle, and so does she.

"well, you have spent so many nights over here over the past 2 years, so I don't think that applies for us anymore."

"well. my dad always told me to be very careful when a guy invited me to stay over for the night."

"I promise I will keep my hands to my self," he whispers into her head.

"you have been kissing me in my sleep." She says, almost accusing and sits up to look at him. "I think we are past that step too."

"only on the temple." He says defensively.

"Okay, fair enough…" she says and leans in and kisses him.

As she leans her head against his chest and hugs him, and he rests his arm around her and hugs her closer to him, she is thinking to herself that this was definitely a dream coming true and definitely a dream she didn't want to wake up from.


End file.
